Rushing the Goal
Page 121

“Tough game, Vaughn. Tell me, what could your team have done to win tonight?”
“Well, Brie, don’t know if you were actually watching the game, but we weren’t playing,” he said simply, and her eyes widened as Benji held back his laughter. “We fucking sucked out there. The defense was off, the offense wasn’t even doing anything. We can’t win games playing like that. We have to be better.”
And then he walked away.
Like he had dropped the mic.
Poor Brie looked stunned, and all Benji could do was laugh. Vaughn was in so much trouble. As he expected, Benji’s interview was very short and then he headed down the hall. The media team was tearing a new one into Vaughn, just as Jude Sinclair was heading toward him.
“Hey!” he called out and Benji paused.
He looked around. He wasn’t sure, but he’d thought maybe the guy wouldn’t talk to him. Pressing his finger to his chest, he said, “Me?”
“You’re the one dating my sister, right?”
Benji nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. “I am.”
“Awesome. Well, then, yes, you,” he said holding his hand out and Benji took it. “How’s the chest?”
“Stings.”
“I bet,” Jude laughed, and he looked so much like Lucy. The whole Sinclair resemblance was a bit scary. He’d thought that Jayden and Lucy could be twins, but Jude looked so much like his brother, Benji was now convinced their genes were some scientific marvel. “Hate that we can’t get together. Get to know each other.”
Benji nodded. The Assassins’ bus would be leaving soon for San Jose. “Yeah, but we have the wedding.”
Jude gagged visibly and then nodded. “So you’re going?”
“I am,” he said, nodding his head.
“Awesome, my mom loves you. Like, I think she wants to marry you instead of River,” he joked and Benji laughed.
“She’s awesome.”
“She is,” he added, his face clearly full of love for Autumn. The same look Lucy always got for her mom. “But, yeah, it was great winning against you,” he said with a wink.
Benji rolled his eyes. “We’ll get you next time.”
“Yeah, yeah. But, hey,” he said, looking Benji right in the eyes. “Don’t hurt my sister, okay?”
Benji wanted to laugh as he held Jude’s green gaze. “Not that I would, but I’m pretty sure she’d kill me if I did.”
“Oh, no doubt,” he laughed, nodding. “She sure would. But, really, please don’t. Not only do you seem like a good guy and I don’t want you to be killed since my mother talks about you all the damn time, but Lucy’s had it rough. From what I hear, you make life great for her and for Angie. Those two…it’s been hard, and I want you to keep doing that. Hell, I’ll pay you to keep doing that.”
That made Benji laugh as he shook his head. “I don’t want your money, bro. Don’t worry, I love your sister, and I’m going to do everything I can for her so she can always be happy.”
Jude’s eyes were wide as he held Benji’s gaze. “You love her? Lucy?”
Not realizing he had said that, he smiled. “I do. She doesn’t know that, though.”
“Oh, okay, because I don’t think she loves anyone, not even me.”
“Who could? You’re a dipshit,” Jayden said, coming up to them and putting his arm around Jude’s neck. “I don’t even love you.”
As they tussled with each other, Benji watched and he shook his head. These Sinclairs were crazy. When they broke apart, Jude scoffed. “Whatever, dude. I’m your favorite.”
“No, Lucy is,” he said with a wink for Benji and he smiled.
“Ha, well, did you hear? Paxton here loves our sister.”
Jayden looked to Benji and he shrugged. “It’s true.”
“Well, duh, I knew that from the rip. Question is, does Lucy love you?” Jayden asked, shaking his head. “I told you, I don’t know if she knows how to love.”
Benji wasn’t sure and was unable to answer as Jude shook his head. “Well, for her sake, let’s hope so. She told me she loved me yesterday, and I think she meant it,” Jude said and they laughed. “Maybe our sister’s cold, dead heart is coming back to life.”
“You guys are too hard on her. She’s really great,” Benji said. He knew they were tough on her. It was some weird Sinclair thing they all did, but he felt he needed to defend her. They both looked at him like he was crazy, though.
“Shit, he is in love,” Jude laughed, smacking Benji on the back.
“Right? Scary. You should see them together. It’s like Mom and River, just less gagging ’cause I want Lucy to be happy,” Jayden added with a grin on his face.
Jude liked that and nodded. “Cool. Let’s hope it works.”
“It will,” Benji said confidently.
He just hoped he was right.
“Now, Mom, Dad is coming and I know—”
But her mother held her hand up, her other one laced with River’s. “As long as he makes sure that piece of junk does not get our baby, then he can come to any game he wants. I’ll even invite him to my wedding.”
“Well, I mean, let’s talk that over for a second,” River said. Lucy nodded since that was the last thing she’d expected her mother to say, but she was thankful.